Beginners Guide to Buying Ready Made Curtains

So you know you need curtains but haven't got a clue where to start? Then read on as I am about to fill you in.

The very first step is to measure for your curtains. Once armed with this info you can decide what size you need. Not all ready made curtains come in all sizes but you will generally find one to suit. However if your windows are particularly large or a special type, like a bay or apex window then our Custom Made option might be the one for you.

Ready made curtains are sold in pairs, with the size on the pack being the measurement of one curtain lying flat. If I can stress one thing above everything else when buying ready made curtains is to buy the right size - don't be skimpy, the more fabric you have the better your curtains will look!

If you know your pole/rail size you can use the handy chart below to figure out what width you need:

*This is based on you having twice the *fullness* of fabric

* Notes on fullness:

This might surprise you but to have your curtains looking as nice as possible you generally want twice the amount of fabric as the width of your pole/rail; even more if choosing pencil pleat; this will allow the curtains to gather nicely.

If you're in between sizes I would say to always go up a size. Let's say your pole is 81" (210cm), logically you might assume that buying a pair of 66" (167cm) wide ready made curtains is the size you want - 66" + 66" = 132" of fabric which is plenty, right? Well no! - as an amazing woman I used to work with would say "If you want them to look like a sheet on your window go ahead". When you see our curtains hanging beautifully instore you're looking at curtains that are nearly 2 1/2 times the width of the pole, what we refer to as "fullness". To put this in perspective we would put a 66" (167cm) curtain on a 54" (137cm) pole. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, if you're unsure what size you should be getting you can talk to one of our expert staff in your local store.

So hopefully now you've figured out what width you need; the drop of your ready made curtain is a much simpler prospect:

It's just a matter of choosing which one is the closest to what you need. The easiest way to do this is to take a metal measuring tape up to your window and see where the drops listed below will come to, if you're between drops you will have to choose the larger one and either have it altered or if you can, raise the pole higher to suit. The drop listed on all ready made curtain packs is approximate - so 90" may be 89" or 91". This is particularly apparent in eyelet curtains as different brands may take the length from different points; some may take the drop from the very top of the curtain; some may take it from the ring itself. There's no standard unfortunately so you won't know until you're ready to hang them. In an ideal world you will hang your pole/rail only when fitting your ready made curtains so you can hang it to suit the drop you have purchased.

*It's really important to note that not all curtains will come in all the sizes listed above, for example, blackout bedroom curtains may only come in the shorter drops

Now that you've figured out what size you will need we can start looking at Readymade Curtains:

Pencil pleat curtains, like the ones pictured above are made with a tape on the top, which you pull to size to create the pleats. They are then hung with hooks from a ring or glider. Eyelet curtains are a simpler style, that has metal rings in the top of the curtains that simply slide over your pole. If you have a pole fitted; you will be free to choose either heading so the world is your oyster as they say, if you have a rail fitted; you will be limited to pencil pleat curtains. It's important for your sanity to note that the eyelets will be made in a colour that best suits the curtain, so a very gold curtain may have an antique brass eyelet, most will have a kind of dull pewter finish. If you already have a pole up, please don't drive yourself crazy trying to match the colour of the metal eyelet to the metal of your pole, the eyelet is picked to match the fabric best and I assure you, you won't even notice the difference when they're hanging. It's generally better to hang eyelet curtains on a metal pole as they will run smoothly and won't get scuffed/scratched the way a wooden pole might.

Ready made curtain linings:

All of our ready made curtains come fully lined. This is a standard light/mid weight lining but there are a range of thermal/blackout curtains available also. The standard lining is simply to make the curtains drape better and to protect the fabric from the sun, it also gives all of your curtains a nice uniform look from the outside as across all brands it is generally an ivory colour. Blackout curtains are ideal for bedrooms as they will block the light coming through the curtains, they are also fantastic for keeping rooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Be careful when buying, some curtains are labelled "blockout", these are more of a thermal weight, which will block a good portion of the light but are not fully blackout, they will also keep rooms cool in summer and warm in winter. In any case in either "blackout" or "blockout" curtains, you will notice that it's generally not a separate lining but a coating on the back of the fabric that does the job.

As ready made curtains are an off the shelf product you may not always get exactly what you want. You may prefer blackout or eyelet heading but the fabric you like most is only available in pencil pleat heading. My advice is to choose the fabric you like first and work from there. Ready made blackout linings can always be added if you need that extra hour in bed. When it comes to pencil pleat - I know you think you prefer eyelets but I assure you once you buy the right size and hang them properly, pencil pleats look really well. If you really really do prefer eyelets talk to our staff in your nearest store as we can alter that heading for you!

Now that you're armed with the information, you can browse our gorgeous range of ready made curtains and pick the right curtains to suit you.

I started working for Hickeys when I was only 16 and my love affair with all things fabric, textiles and crafts began!! I always have some project on the go (even if they don't always get finished), and after 17 years in the business I'm still learning new things all the time from fellow staff and amazing customers!